Facebook to remain place to share views and ideas – Zuckerberg

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken to the social network to address the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris, asserting the company will “never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share”.

The 30-year-old pointed to an incident from a few years ago, when an individual Zuckerberg described as an “extremist” in Pakistan fought to have him sentenced to death after Facebook refused to ban content he found offensive.

“We stood up for this because different voices – even if they’re sometimes offensive – can make the world a better and more interesting place,” wrote Zuckerberg.

“Facebook has always been a place where people across the world share their views and ideas. We follow the laws in each country, but we never let one country or group of people dictate what people can share across the world.”

Reflecting on Wednesday’s fatal shootings at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, Zuckerberg called on all Facebook users to reject “a group of extremists trying to silence the voices and opinions of everyone else around the world” before adding that his “thoughts are with the victims, their families, the people of France and the people all over the world who choose to share their views and ideas”.

In the wake of the shootings, many Twitter users have showed their support for the victims and free speech by using the hashtags #CharlieHebdo and #JeSuisCharlie (‘I Am Charlie’) on microblogging site Twitter.